Publications / Civil Law

On this week, the consumers question are regarding the vouchers, wrong price tag, and meat offered is halal. Checking information on a product is a right, and there is nothing wrong with it as a consumer.

Products should always have an expiration date on the packaging as a general rule. It's reasonable to inquire or doubt for the freshness or effectiveness of a product if the expiration date is missing or outdated. On a voucher which is commonly used for promotion or discounts, it should state the date until what date the voucher is still valid and what stores are available. Imagine going to a store just to use the voucher to purchase clothes or goods and the cashier didn't accept your voucher because it was already expired, you have wasted money and time just because you didn't check it earlier.

Wrong placement of price tag of a product is also a common issue. But as I mentioned on my last article that UAE has the best consumer protection within the region, there is a law that can be applied for that. According to Article 1 of Law No 4 of 1979, any illusive price offering to deceive a consumer from a contract can be penalized by a jail sentence or a fine not exceeding Dh 20,000 and could be taken very seriously.

Quality of meat should be also taken seriously. Article 2 of Law No 4 of 1979 states that whoever attempts to deceive the quality of meat, in terms of its origin or if it is halal or not, may face a jail not exceeding two years with a fine ranging Dh500 - Dh20,000.